Speak Now
by palephoenix
Summary: Four little words could break Katie Bell's heart forever.  Will she have the courage to fight?


Title: Speak Now (1/1)

Author: palephoenix

Genre: Harry Potter FP-Het

Rating: R

Disclaimer: Not for profit, purely for entertainment purposes. The characters belong to JK Rowling and the actors belong to themselves. I'm just borrowing them. I don't know the actors; if I did would I be writing this? The song lyrics used belong to Taylor Swift.

Feedback: pretty please with Sean Biggerstaff/James McAvoy/your choice on top?

AN: For the purposes of this story Katie is the same age as Oliver, and Fred did not die in the War. This fic was inspired by the song 'Speak Now' by Taylor Swift from the album of the same name. Thanks to her for writing a great song. :)

Summary: Four little words have the power to break Katie's heart forever. Will she have the strength to fight?

Angelina Johnson-Weasley sighed loudly as she tossed down her quill for the dozenth time in the past half hour, drawing the curious gazes of the few customers frequenting Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes at that early hour of the day. Frustrated and exhausted from a sleepless night, she rubbed at her eyes and shoved aside the WWW paperwork she was trying to work on.

How could she focus on paperwork when she was anxiously waiting for her friend and former Quidditch team mate, Katie Bell? Especially when she was dreading having to pass on the news she'd learned (and which had kept her up till the wee hours) the night before from her husband, Fred. News that would hurt Katie now matter how gently that news was delivered.

With another heavy sigh she set the quill in its holder, capped the ink bottle and tried to think of a way to say what she needed to say. She was thinking so hard that she didn't hear the bell ring when the shop door opened and Katie Bell stepped inside.

"Angie?"

Angelina jumped as the sound of her friend's voice yanked her out of her reverie, and shook her head to clear it. "Katie, hey."

"You were a hundred miles away just now," Katie remarked, tucking a lock of her long strawberry blond hair behind her ear. "What's going on? Your letter last night was kind of weird."

"Yeah, I know. I didn't know what to say, which is why I asked you to come over this morning. I have to tell you something Kates. I really don't want to have to be the one to tell you this, but I think it's better this way. That you hear it from me rather than someone else." Angelina walked across the store, gently urging the two young boys to leave. They did so eagerly when she slipped each of them a free Ton-Tongue Toffee. She locked the door behind them and flipped the sign to 'Closed'.

Katie frowned and leaned on the counter, waiting as Angelina returned to the back of the store. "Okay, now you're worrying me, Angie. Just out with it, okay? What's going on?"

Angelina sighed again and closed her eyes. "Oliver is getting married," she said reluctantly.

They were just four little words. Four simple little words with the power to break Katie Bell's heart.

Angelina looked at her regretfully, wishing she hadn't been the one to hurt her friend so badly.

Katie felt as though she'd been hit by a truck, all the air crushed out of her lungs so she couldn't breathe. Her head spun dizzily and she braced herself against the counter, grasping the edge so hard her fingers turned white.

"Kates, are you okay?"

Katie looked at her and Angelina was alarmed to see Katie's already fair skin go dead white. Angelina darted around to the other side of the counter, ready to catch her friend if she fell.

"Kates, don't let this break you! You are stronger than this!" Angelina clutched her friend's arm.

"Angie," Katie looked up at her taller friend, her aqua eyes full of tears. "It hurts so much. I never thought he would..."

"He doesn't love her, Kates," Angelina insisted. "He's said as much to Harry, and Harry told Ginny, who told the twins and Fred told me all of it last night. You don't have to just let this happen. You _shouldn't_ let this happen without a fight. You love him, Katie, and I'm sure he still loves you. But you refused to see him, so he might think you don't love him any more. But you cannot just give him up. You two are meant to be together."

"Angie, what can I do?"

Angelina's dark eyes shone with a look that Katie was used to only seeing in the eyes of Angelina's husband and his twin. "Crash the wedding," she said simply.

* * *

(Two months later)

**_I am not the kind of girl who should be rudely barging in on a white veil occasion_**

**_But you are not the kind of boy who should be marrying the wrong girl_**

Katie stood outside the church in the little Scottish village that was Oliver Wood's home town. She looked at the quaint old building, her outer appearance not betraying any of the turmoil she was feeling inside. She was wearing an absolutely beautiful dress that Angelina and Alicia had bought for her. It was aqua chiffon with a sweetheart neckline and spaghetti straps. The floaty skirt fell to just below her knees and she wore silver strappy sandals with a small heel. Front pieces of her hair had been pulled back and held with sparkling clips, while the rest fell in rippling waves down her back.

"Katie," Angelina touched her shoulder, drawing her out of her quiet thoughts, "You can do this."

Katie watched as Angelina, Alicia, Fred and George walked up the steps and into the church and took a deep breath. Steeling herself she wrapped the invisibility cloak that Harry had happily lent her around her shoulders, disappearing from view and resolutely climbed the stairs.

**_I sneak in and see your friends and her snotty little family all dressed in pastel_**

**_And she is yelling at a bridesmaid_**

**_Somewhere back inside a room wearing a gown shaped like a pastry_**

**_This is surely not what you thought it would be_**

As soon as she was inside the doors Katie could hear the muffled sounds of a grating voice screeching at someone from behind a closed door off to one side. She rolled her eyes and snickered, continuing into the church, thinking of when Alicia had told her about the horrid dress that Oliver's fiancée, Miranda, had chosen.

*Flashback*

"Oh my god, Katie, you would die of disgust. It's the most awful dress I have ever seen. She looked like a bloody meringue! It's so floofy and poofy!"

*End Flashback*

Katie had to bite her lip to keep from making a sound when she saw Oliver waiting up at the altar with Charlie Weasley, who was his best man. He looked so handsome in his dress kilt and black jacket. She had always loved when Oliver wore a kilt. She sighed inwardly at the familiar butterflies in her stomach, fighting the urge to go to him now, and carefully moved off to find a place where no one would stumble over her.

**_Fond gestures are exchanged_**

**_And the organ starts to play a song that sounds like a death march_**

**_And I am hiding in the curtains_**

**_It seems that I was uninvited by your lovely bride to be_**

As she waited, Katie remembered how furious she'd been when Ginny had told her that Oliver had put Katie's name down on the guest list, but his fiancée had taken it off when Oliver had gone. That information was what made her determined to do this. One, it told her that Oliver still cared, and two, it told her that Miranda knew damn well that Oliver wasn't in love with _her_ even though he was marrying her. Katie knew she couldn't let this ruin her life and she refused to let Oliver ruin his either.

Just as the crowd was beginning to get rather restless the organ cued up, signalling that the ceremony was about to begin. Katie couldn't help but make a face at the awful music that had been chosen for the bride's walk down the aisle. She had a hard time not laughing as she caught the disgusted look on the faces of Fred and George, sitting in a pew a few rows ahead of where she stood. Then the doors at the back of the church opened and Miranda appeared. Alicia had not been kidding about the dress. She really did look like a pile of meringue and it was not a flattering look for her.

**_She floats down the aisle like a pageant queen_**

**_But I know you wish it was me_**

**_You wish it was me, don't you_**

Katie pulled her eyes away from the train wreck of a bride and looked over at Oliver. He had a smile on his face, but the smile did not reach his eyes. The brown orbs looked almost dead and Katie's heart clenched painfully. Oliver looked as though he'd just been sentenced to life in Azkaban.

The bride reached the altar and the ceremony began. Katie quietly made her way to a seat beside the aisle at the back of the church and waited for her moment.

**_I hear the preacher say speak now or forever hold your peace_**

**_There's the silence there's my last chance_**

**_I stand up with shaky hands_**

**_All eyes on me_**

**_Horrified looks from everyone in the room_**

**_But I'm only looking at you_**

After what seemed like an hour, the pastor finally got to the important part, asking if anyone had any reason why the two shouldn't be married to speak now or hold their peace. Katie stood up, her hands trembling a little, and whipped off the invisibility cloak.

"I have something to say," she said, her eyes on Oliver.

There were gasps from the bride's side of the church, and an angry, indignant one from the bride herself. There were equally loud snickers from the groom's side, coming from the vicinity of the Weasley twins. Charlie Weasley had a hand clapped over his mouth, his eyes twinkling with mirth as he fought to hold back a laugh.

"Ollie-bear, what is she doing here?" Miranda demanded.

"Let me talk to her," was all he said before he left her standing at the altar, striding down the aisle to take Katie gently by the arm. He pulled her into the lobby of the church, closing the door behind him and throwing out locking and silencing charms.

**_Don't say yes run away now_**

**_I'll meet you when you're out of the church at the back door_**

**_Don't wait or say a single vow_**

**_You need to hear me out_**

"Kates, what are you doing here?" Oliver asked quietly, letting go of her arm and turning to face her.

"Oliver, I... I have some things I need to say to you." She turned and slowly paced toward the church doors. "I'm sorry that I haven't talked to you since we left Hogwarts. It just hurt too much to be around you and not be... _with_ you. But I couldn't let you get married today without telling you how I feel. Oliver, I love you. I've always loved you. There's never been anyone but you."

"Kates..." He tried to break in.

"Oliver, please don't marry her. She doesn't love you..." Katie rambled on, beginning to worry that this wouldn't work.

"Kates!" He nearly shouted to get her attention. "Kates, I know she doesn't love me. And she knows I don't love her. But I gave up hoping that you still cared about me."

"Oliver, I'm sorry that I wasted so much time..."

"Don't be," Oliver gave her a crooked grin, his chocolate eyes shining.

**_And you say let's run away now_**

**_I'll meet you when I'm out of my tux at the back door_**

"I've got to go break the news," He said ruefully. "Meet me outside, okay?"

"Okay," She said softly.

With a grin, he turned, took the charms off the doors and went back into the church. He ignored the looks of the guests and made his way back up to the altar where Miranda stood, fuming.

"What took so long?" She demanded angrily. "Can we get back to the ceremony now?"

"No, I'm afraid we can't. There's not going to be any wedding."

"What?"

"Miranda, be quiet. You don't love me, you never did. You loved my position and the money I make. I don't love you, I used you to try to forget the woman I do love. But I'm not going to do it any more. So, there's no point continuing this farce." At that he turned away and headed back down the aisle, a genuine smile on his face this time.

He shucked his jacket and tie as he walked through the lobby and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt. He walked around the side of the church and saw Katie waiting for him under an apple tree in full bloom. The sunlight filtered through the leaves and blossoms, lighting Katie's beautiful hair. His heart skipped and his breath caught in his throat. He couldn't believe she was finally back in his life.

Katie heard his footsteps and turned toward him. Her stomach fluttered as he strode purposefully toward her. She knew the look in his eyes and she barely had time to take a breath when he gathered her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers in a long, deep kiss that made her knees weak.

"Oliver!" She gasped when they broke apart.

"I love you, Katie," He said, his voice husky.

"I love you, Oliver," She breathed.

"Thank you," He said earnestly, then his lips were on hers again, leaving her no doubt as to what he was thanking her for.

**_Baby I didn't say my vows_**

**_So glad you were around _**

**_When they said speak now_**

**_

* * *

_**This fic has been kicking around in my head pretty much since the first time I heard this song. Hope you all enjoy it. :)


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